It is ironic that Belizeans should emphatically proclaim that "not one square inch, not a blade of grass" shall be ceded to Guatemala, when valuable plants and hardwood are being harvested everyday, and fauna hunted by Guatemalans - with impunity. It is one thing to read about it or see it on the evening news. It is in fact quite jarring to hear the chainsaws at work, knowing that Belize's natural resources are being raped, pillaged and sold by Guatemalans, making a mockery of sovereignty.

The true motive for the proposed amendment, however, lies somewhere betwixt and between the perception of the bar as being PUP-dominated and the Attorney General's long-standing feeling that the bar has not accorded him the recognition and respect enjoyed by the elite of that club. His elevation to senior counsel was opposed by senior members of the bar. Well into the mid-90's, he was still attending bar meetings. When he last offered himself for president at one of these meetings, he was outgunned by Derek Courtenay.

They agreed it would be best to create a makeshift diversion in the road so vehicles wouldn't run over Mia while they tried to get some help. Suddenly, branches in a nearby tree rustled. Looking up, they were startled by five pairs of eyes steadfastly, noiselessly observing their movements down below.

Cordel fell under the Svengalian thrall of Mark shortly after Mark's marriage to his sister (and daughter of the patriarch of the Amandala-Krem grassroots media group), creating the Espat-Hyde political axis. From that point, Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde indeed became "like a joint entity" but with Espat being the senior partner; Espat led and Hyde followed. While Espat was truculent, Machiavellian and eviscerating in dealing with his party's leadership, Cordel tended to be reticent, measured and restrained. Espat, stern and severe of visage, wore his antagonism like a scout's badge of honor; Hyde, in contrast, was non-confrontational and easy: the tail being wagged by the dog.

Even for a cold-blooded killer, patricide, matricide and sororicide - all in one bloody, fell swoop - is an extraordinary event and invites closer scrutiny for that fact alone. Intriguingly, Channel 7 news reported that Ranguy told police he was sleepwalking. A curious - even laughable - thing to say. So why would Ranguy raise such a flimsy defense?

At the magnificent fifteenth century Lalbagh Fort, men, burqa-clad women and children stare at my uncovered legs, still outré in Bangladesh - only children are expected to wear short pants. It dawns on me that for the duration of my visit I have not seen a single tourist, not even at the sites recommended by Lonely Planet. Bangladesh is still the road not taken; the untrodden path. That is why, even with trousers, Bangladeshis stop in the crowded streets to stare with curiosity; but they are among the kindest and most welcoming people to be encountered.

One hundred feet away on the convention floor, John McCain stood at the podium addressing the delegates, the tele-prompters clearly visible; everything was scripted down to the last detail. Staying on message is a cardinal, inviolate rule of US conventions and campaigns. Unscripted stunts like Clint Eastwood's humorous, mimed discussion with Mr. Obama sent waves of gut-wrenching fear through RNC advisors.

Without the protocolary constraints this time, I allowed myself to float, breezily transported by the magic of time-frozen buildings with their majestic Spanish colonial architecture. Wandering aimlessly through the cobble stone streets of Plaza de Armas, Plaza de San Francisco and Plaza Vieja replete with musicians, colorful art and revolution memorabilia, I became part of the living museum that is Havana Vieja, a UNESCO-designated world heritage site.

Sick to their stomachs of the violence, grieving mothers, teachers, schoolchildren and now even medical doctors have taken to the streets to demonstrate, march and hold candle vigils in protest against the out-of-control crime situation.

Fourteen years later, the apprehension of the alleged murderer of schoolgirl Jasmine Lowe, aged 13 years, whose decomposing remains was found on the Cristo Rey Road in the Cayo District of Belize, caused the spontaneous gathering of a thousand angry and raucous residents. The throng milled about the courthouse on Wednesday June 20th 2012 waiting for a glimpse of Bert Vasquez Haylock, the man the police say killed Jasmine. They chantingly demanded justice while hanging Bert Vasquez in effigy.